Pam's Darth Talon Project

[Guest Sakara]

Im in the UK, but id cheer you on, you have an incredible figure for this costume...and itl be so good so you have to do it! lol

[The Clone Emperor]

Topic = Pam needs cheering on to feel secure about her figure.

 

¿What?

 

May I remind you;

 

'Nough said.

[Twi'lek Pam]

Topic = Pam needs cheering on to feel secure about her figure.

 

 

 

LOL! I love that photo! I can't decide which is funnier... that mischevious eye peeking out, or Darth Nihilus playing his saber flute!

 

 

I'm actually not very body-shy. I do want to loose a few pounds, but overall I don't think I'm in bad shape. I spend every summer in just a bikini and shorts, so Talon's costume actually covers quite a bit more than what I usually wear. I deeply wish that she wore parachute pants or something that would cover up my chubby thighs, though, because being blessed with a skinny waist doesn't mean that everything else on a person's body is going to be equally slim. I even had to special order my TK armor in a doublewide just to get enough coverage downstairs!

 

 

 

(I originally titled this photo, "Does this armor make my butt look big?" It's one of my favorite TK pictures!)

 

 

 

Honestly, I really did mean that I'm feeling shy. Not just about how I'll look in the costume, but about the fact that people will LOOK if I'm wearing that costume! Many people. And cameras. And more people. And cameras. People simply won't ignore a red and black person in an unusual outfit... they're funny that way. I've been trying to push myself into wearing the costume because I set the challenge for myself and because I've put so much time into it already, but.... but.... eep! Suddenly I'm not feeling so brave anymore. And like I said, I'm turning 38 this year, so I feel really self-conscious about trying to dress like a 20-something! I am NOT overcompensating for a dagburn mid-life crisis, you little whippersnappers! Now where's my walker?!

 

Hmmm.... perhaps I could hide under Dave's cape. "Look, Mommy! Darth Vader has four feet! And a hunchback!"

 

I think for now I'm going to continue my 50/50 on this one. I've got until D*Con to finish the costume and get up the nerve to wear it in public. I do deeply appreciate the support and encouragement from everyone, but it's all going to depend on how brave I feel when the time comes. I'm not going to ruin my vacation by stressing myself out over a costume. If I can get up the nerve to wear it, I'll paint myself black and red and Scott can shove me out of our hotel room when the time comes. If I can't get up the nerve, then... well, I'll show up in something a little less terrifying!

 

 

Pam

 

P.S. Yup... I did say D*Con. We've got our plane tickets, we've got our hotel reservation, and we've got our con memberships. Atlanta, here we come!

 

 

.

[Guest mdb]

Well speaking for myself support is just that- not pressure!

[ghostred7]

If I can get up the nerve to wear it, I'll paint myself black and red and Scott can shove me out of our hotel room when the time comes. If I can't get up the nerve, then... well, I'll show up in something a little less terrifying!

 

 

Pam

 

P.S. Yup... I did say D*Con. We've got our plane tickets, we've got our hotel reservation, and we've got our con memberships. Atlanta, here we come!

.

 

He'll have help

....and can I add much w00t to your coming to D*C again?!!?!

[Guest Anonymous]

Your work is always amazing Pam, you have no reason to be shy. I wish my tummy looked like yours!

[Guest deogeo]

Pam, what's age got to do with it if you have the right body and figure? You look awesome as Aayla and you'll look awesome as Talon.

If you've got it, flaunt it!

You've got it, so get flaunting it

[Guest Anonymous]

OMG your costumes look amazing! I would love to do a blue one some day too *grin*. I could really use your help with my Talon hilt!!

[Twi'lek Pam]

Tra la la la laaaa la laaa....

 

Is it just me, or does the back pattern look somewhat like fairy wings...

 

 

 

 

Pam

[Guest Daritha]

The Sith tattoos will be tough. Will you paint it from scratch every time or do a template and just spray it over the body?

[Twi'lek Pam]

The Sith tattoos will be tough. Will you paint it from scratch every time or do a template and just spray it over the body?

 

 

I'm using the sketches on the body cast as a guide for making stencils.

 

Pam

[Drago Lordist]

Tra la la la laaaa la laaa....

 

Is it just me, or does the back pattern look somewhat like fairy wings...

 

Pam

 

*in best Dr.Evil voice* evil fairy wings?

[Twi'lek Pam]

Okay, the decision has been made. (Sorta. I'll probably flip-flop a few more times over the next month...)

 

I'm going to save Darth Talon for Celebration V. I'm very happy with the way the costume is coming out and it's steadily nearing completion, but I think I'm going to leave it at home when we go to D*Con. I know that a Talon costume would get a good reception in Atlanta, and I know that there will be a fair number of scantily clad girls running about... but I also know the atmosphere of that particular con. I was uncomfortable when guys kept requesting spankings, whippings and slaps while I was dressed as Aayla last year... and now I'm finding that my attempt to be brave and daring is not working very well against the fear of wearing something even skimpier than that. It's just a bit beyond my comfort level. I think it's better to save the Talon costume for Celebration, where there will be Darth Talons everywhere and the other fans tend to be a bit more reserved over the course of the day!

 

 

In the meantime, here's our first stencil test. It came out fair; not as good as I wanted it to, but good enough for our first attempt. I'm going to keep refining the stencils until I get everything figured out.

 

 

Pam

[Guest Anonymous]

Looks great to me! What did you use for the black?

[Guest Anonymous]

I think the tattoo definitely works already!

 

C5 look out!

[Twi'lek Pam]

The paint is Reel Creations, the same stuff that they used on Ray Park when they did his Darth Maul tattoos. I'm so spoiled by that stuff; it's pretty much the only paint I use for my Twi'lek costumes anymore!

 

To be fair, the guys at D*Con have been very polite to me. Yes, they did ask for poses that made me uncomfortable... but when I declined they accepted that I wasn't okay with it, and every time they followed up by asking for a "just standing together" picture instead and thanked me for the photo. One time a photographer kept pestering me to spank the guy who'd asked me for a picture, and the guy responded, "She said no, dude. Leave her alone!" So, yeah... they are geared toward asking for suggestive photos, but they're cool with it when you decline. I still enjoyed myself, I just don't want to put myself in more of a spot than I need to be in!

 

Yeah, if I'm ever going to get up the nerve to wear the costume in public, Celebration will be the right place. I'll finish long before then and will probably arrange a photoshoot so I can get it approved and share how it came out, but for the first public wearing of the costume, I think CV would be the least terrifying.

 

 

Pam

[Guest Sakara]

Ah thats ok...

but yeah Celebration will be the one to give you the confidance to wear it at non SW events...

[Guest Anonymous]

Oh my. That is fantastic Pam. I can't wait to see this in person.

 

As usual, you do amazing work.

[Twi'lek Pam]

I've been taking dozens of photos so I'll be able to post full tutorials when I finish this costume and manage to find enough free time... but in the meantime, here's an overview for a "quick and easy" way to make form-fitting fiberglass armor pieces that don't require a mold.

 

Start with a body cast of each arm and leg. This is why I highly recommend taking the time to make a really sturdy cast each time you need to make one. If you make them well, they can last through many projects. These leg castings were originaly made for my Mara shin guards, and have seen much use since then. Since they're fiberglass, they're nearly indestructable, they are easy to store, and they're wonderfully lightweight. My arm castings are solid ultrastone, so they're quite strong also, but they weight a lot more.

 

First, cover the body cast with a thin layer of water based clay and use a damp sponge to smooth it. Water based clay is easier to spread and smooth than oil based clay, and shaves a lot of work time off the project! You need a slightly thicker layer of clay on the lower legs if you need to make room for boots, but the arms won't need much space under the armor. The trick here is to spread the clay WAY PAST the area that you'll need the armor to cover. That way you won't need to worry about the edges being worn down too thin as you work with the clay.

 

 

Once the clay is smooth, cover it with a layer of plastic wrap, and tape down the edges so it'll stay in place.

 

 

 

Then, don the appropriate safety gear (OR ELSE!) and apply fiberglass right over the saran wrap. Once again, go past the area that you will need the armor to cover. You don't want the edges of the armor to have thin or wavy spots, so it's better to go past the edges. Allow the fiberglass time to sit for a while, and then remove it from the body casting while it's still flexible enough to be easily removed. If it doesn't come off easily you can trim some of the extra off with a dremel cutting tool, but I didn't find that to be necessary.

 

 

 

After I've taken a piece of fiberglass off the "mold" I usually stand the piece on a support frame and paint a coat of talc thickened fiberglass resin over the top surface. This gives the top a much smoother surface so there's a lot less sanding, and assures me that any sanding I need to do won't cut too deeply into the actual fibers. (That hasn't been done in this photo; this is the "rough" fiberglass surface.)

 

Now the fiberglass pieces are ready to be trimmed down to size, sanded, painted, and turned into Darth Talon armor! (Again, make sure to wear goggles and a respirator when cutting and sanding the fiberglass. Fiberglass is a fantastic costume building material, but it can can do really nasty things to your lungs and brain cells, so be safe.)

 

 

 

Pam

[Guest Anonymous]

All i can say is....Damn!

 

You are sooooo damn pro.

 

I'm totally jealous! It's really fantastic work.

 

Oh....as for guys....well...to be fair cons are akin to Spring Break (except that it's populated by nerds, geeks, and other maladjusts of society ). In that sort of Mardi Gras anything-goes environment, the geeks sometimes go wild and be a bit...out of bounds at times. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being conservative and telling them to go #$$@ themselves if they are asking you to do anything well.....not in character.

 

It's funny that there's some kinda assumption that because a woman is underdressed, she must be...loose or something. But, red sabers and bad attitude quickly corrects any such behavior! Nothing says "back off" like pointing a lit saber in someone's face. Hell...they'll love you for it even more.

 

If you should happen *cough* *cough* to go berserk on someone stupid while as Darth Talon, anything short of assault and battery will probably be appluded by appreciative fans as acting totally in character! Just saying.

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm sure Pam can take care of business not to mention she'll have a few other "Darths" around her that can *cough* handle the beezwax.hehe

 

This costume is going to be menacing (in a sexzay way) to say the least.

 

Pam, will this be done by DC* ya think?

 

I would love to see it.

[Guest Daritha]

To the topic: I never except anything other than perfection from you. Good guide and I'm pretty sure your Talon will be marvelous femme fatale!

 

Oh....as for guys....well...to be fair cons are akin to Spring Break (except that it's populated by nerds, geeks, and other maladjusts of society ). In that sort of Mardi Gras anything-goes environment, the geeks sometimes go wild and be a bit...out of bounds at times.

It's quite interesting how the other cons are working. Here in Germany the cons (like Jedi-Con) are quite civilised. The only one who was gone "wild" was young-Boba Daniel Logan back in 2008 ... but propably I just wasn't in the "dark corners" of the convention. *g*

 

But, red sabers and bad attitude quickly corrects any such behavior! Nothing says "back off" like pointing a lit saber in someone's face. Hell...they'll love you for it even more.

Yeah ... we're just a sort of fangirl ... the big and hairy one.

 

But hey: Every geek dreams of a beatufil girl who can count every lightsaber form or name the royal Hapan blood line ... you know. Elementary stuff.

[Guest Sakara]

It's quite interesting how the other cons are working. Here in Germany the cons (like Jedi-Con) are quite civilised. The only one who was gone "wild" was young-Boba Daniel Logan back in 2008 ... but propably I just wasn't in the "dark corners" of the convention. *g*

 

 

HAHAH i heard about that.....

In the UK too...we tend to have more 'reserved' fans..well for stuff like Star Wars...not so much for films like Harry Potter or LOTR..those fans are rabid i tell you

[Guest StungunMoy]

Wow! I'm probably going to be the happiest girl ever when I get a chance to see this at Celebration

[Guest Orsan]

Any Updates on this???

 

I would love to see the end product.

 

Awesome!!!!